News

William Crowley Jr., MD, chief of the Reproductive Endocrine Unit and director of Clinical Research, was honored Oct. 17 with the first Daniel K. Podolsky Professorship in Medicine, a new endowed chair at Harvard Medical School (HMS).

Crowley named to Podolsky Professorship

11/Nov/2011

NEW PROFESSORSHIP: From left, Flier, Crowley, Podolsky, Slavin and Ausiello

William Crowley Jr., MD, chief of the Reproductive Endocrine Unit and director of Clinical Research, was honored Oct. 17 with the first Daniel K. Podolsky Professorship in Medicine, a new endowed chair at Harvard Medical School (HMS). The professorship was established by an anonymous donor in honor of Podolsky, who served as chief of MGH Gastroenterology and the Mallinckrodt Professor of Medicine at HMS until 2008, when he became president of the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. Podolsky spoke at the event, along with Jeffrey Flier, MD, dean of HMS, Peter L. Slavin, MD, MGH president, and Dennis Ausiello, MD, chief of the MGH Department of Medicine.

"It is fitting that Dr. Crowley be the first individual to hold the Podolsky Professorship,” said Slavin. “Bill is a true leader as evidenced by the many national and international awards he has received. This is a particularly moving celebration for me, since I had the good fortune of learning from both Dan and Bill when I was an MGH medical resident. They both taught me a great deal about providing outstanding clinical care and simultaneously thinking deeply about the scientific basis of human illness.”

Crowley has been an integral part of the MGH community since 1969, during which time he pioneered a number of significant scientific advancements, including the use of GnRH analogues – which block the release of sex hormones – to treat children with precocious puberty. This therapy is also widely used to treat prostate cancer, endometriosis and uterine fibroids. Most recently, Crowley and his colleagues have been leaders in using genetic and molecular approaches in clinical research to identify several new genes that control human puberty and sexual maturation.

“I am greatly honored by this chair and all that it means in celebrating Dan Podolsky’s illustrious career at the MGH. I also appreciate Dr. Ausiello’s committment to the area of translational research that will become such an important activity of the MGH going forward,” Crowley said.